southern comfort
by kylie1206
Summary: Leonard and Tonia Barrows - the progress of a relationship between two Southern firecrackers. Jim Kirk knows when he needs to give his friend a helping hand.


AN: So this fic is set in the middle of a relationship hinted at in the TOS episode 'Shore Leave' between Leonard and Tonia Barrows. It's been expanded on in my roleplay as Leonard, with a wonderful girl that plays Tonia. I wrote this fic to fit in with what had been going on with them. Long story short, Leonard freaked at the mention of getting married, almost pushed her away and has been working to rebuild things. This also relates to the Trek Novel 'Provenance of Shadows' in which their relationship takes much the same turn.

J

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Jim Kirk really wasn't the type to do the whole 'emotions, talking blah blah oh God it's serious' thing. But with his best friend currently passed out on his sofa from exhaustion and that bottle of Romulan Ale Jim had managed to trick him into, he felt it was time for action.

Leonard of course, would be mortified when he awoke to find himself slumped over Jim's sofa with a bottle clutched in one hand, and a tiny box in the other. Tear tracks down each reddened cheek, and tufts of hair wildly out of place atop his head. Tonia had been working later than usual, catching up on work she needed to get done. Which wasn't all that urgent, when you considered it, but he knew she had a dedication to her work that surpassed that of most others on the ship. He'd learnt to not challenge her over it as often as he used to try, her Southern temper matching his word for word in their little tiffs as a result.

That was a large part of the reason he loved her so very much. She stood her ground with him, went toe to toe with his almighty grumpy attitude when the mood took him. She knew him inside and out; just how she had managed to read him so well, he never quite understood and probably never would. The last few weeks had been some of the hardest he had ever been through, including his divorce. Losing someone who had cheated on him, he could get through. The fear of losing someone he loved with his everything, for his own stupidity terrified him more than he cared to admit.

Which is where Jim Kirk and a bottle of Romulan Ale came in.

Jim knew there were problems. For one, you had to be deaf to have not heard about the ruckus Leonard had caused in the corridor, telling the woman he loved that he would leave the Enterprise to be with her if he needed to. If he wasn't secretly so amused by his friend making such a scene, he would have had to chastise him for doing so. Of course, he knew there were problems the moment an emotional Tonia handed in a transfer request to him, citing 'personal reasons'. The big elephant that those 'personal reasons' were were plainly obvious, even to Jim.

Now he didn't know all that much about steady relationships, but he knew a handful of things. One, being that Bones was happiest when he had someone to love and care for. Something Tonia granted him, which made him a damn sight easier to be around due to the fact he was less of a grump. He also knew that Tonia was a good woman. The type you'd _want_ to be in a relationship with. She was feisty, attractive, funny and good natured. She seemed to keep Leonard on his toes and from everything Jim had managed to wean out of his friend (usually after much coercion or copious amounts of drink), she was someone Leonard was deeply in love with.

So maybe it was his duty as his friend, or his duty as his captain, but he knew he had to do _something_ rather than sit back whilst Bones cried into his ale over his fears of losing the woman he loved.

Who knew Bones even cried? Jim knew he was an emotional s-o-b, but tears? He thought he was like Robodoc, without tear ducts, replaced by a scathing wit instead.

Raising a hand to the door to the quarters his friend and Tonia shared, he rang the door chime, plastering a winning smile across his face in preparation to see her. He knew she would immediately be suspicious of him being there, alone, so he needed to make a good impression, or feel the wrath of her scorn.

"Jim," Tonia spoke simply, eyebrow cocked in surprise. There she stood, in her dressed down clothing. A simple top and trousers combination. PADDs were spread over the coffee table, work she had decided to take back to the comfort of her quarters as she waited for Leonard to return. "What have you done to Leonard now?"

With a low laugh and a hand shooting to his chest in mock pain over her comment, he nodded towards the room, inviting himself in even as his feet bounded over the threshold. He used to just let himself in, making Leonard's abode his home from home. Of course, after a few scathing 'conversations' (and once catching them almost at it on the sofa much to Leonard's frustration) with Leonard about privacy now he had Tonia, he'd learnt his manners. For the most part.

"He's asleep. You know how it is when they reach his age," he replied brightly. Situating himself down on the sofa, he leant forwards, hands in his lap, eyes and gaze lifted towards Tonia. "Before Doctor grumpy wakes up, I wanted to talk to you. Seriously. As his friend."

Tonia eyed Jim curiously, but yet she nodded, sat herself down a meter away from him, her own hands resting in her lap. She paused for a moment, leant over to tidy up the table, and then settled once more. "He's not old," she replied, lips quirked upwards in amusement. Of course, she was entirely curious now. She knew Jim was, and perhaps always would be, the closest friend Leonard had. But it was still strange to her, to have Jim make this sort of proposal to talk. They'd had a few lighthearted discussions in the past, with Jim telling her she was a stronger woman than he would ever be in taking on McCoy.

"I know he can be... difficult. You know he loves you, right? I mean, I can't get a word in edgeways sometimes because all he wants to talk about is you. Not in a bad way. The whole 'she's amazing, Jim' sort of way," he began with a slight ramble, which brought an almost amused smile to the face of the woman, who nodded in agreement. Though Leonard had hurt her, she knew he did love her. She just doubted the strength of his feelings for her.

"He does want to marry you one day, you know," his brow furrowed at that as he spoke, realising that was perhaps more than he should have said. "He's got a ring. Just, thinks that now you'll think he's asking because of what an asshole he was. His words. Though I do agree. He was." And yet, he kept going.

And Tonia stared. "He what?"

"Oh. You know that last planet we went down to? With the markets and the show girls?" because when down there, Jim had spent his time enjoying the culture (showgirls) and Leonard had dragged him to the markets when giving Tonia some 'girl time'. "He traded some... I don't know, it was a weird medical instrument he said his dad used to use, for this ring. Because he said that nearly losing you, made him see how much he can't lose you." Raising his hands up defensively. "I'm going to go in a minute, mostly so he doesn't wake up and get suspicious of me. Just, he's been going on about this all night, and I don't know how to make him feel better. He's my best friend, Tonia, and being with you makes him happy. Probably because he doesn't have all that repressed sexual tension anymore," he shot her a playful smile, but quickly resumed speaking, mostly so she couldn't tell him off for his comment. "Just, look after him for me. He's always looked after me. He does love you. I think he's about a shot of Ale away from having your name tattooed on his ass with a love heart, actually."

And that made Tonia smile, a mixture of amusement and amazement. Though she would have liked to see and envision a future of them together, married with a family, she had felt that Leonard had made his feelings on another marriage clear. Jim certainly muddied the waters here for her.

"What-- I can't exactly tell him you've tattled on him, Jim," she replied, brows knitting together in thought. What exactly Jim wanted her to do with this information, she didn't know. But she was greatful for it. Now? Now she knew he really did love her enough to see her as more than some five year fling. Leonard saw a future with her. His damned stubbornness and fears were the only things standing in their way.

"I just thought you needed to know. Last thing I need is another epic scene in the corridors with him threatening to leave the Enterprise. Though I have heard the ships theatrical group is looking to recruit him now," another winning smile, and with a slap of his hands on his thighs, he rose up.

To the sound of his communicator bleeping. "Oops. I should go," he laughed, stepping over towards her. Leaning down, he kissed her cheek. "I'll send him back in as close to one piece as possible." After all, a hypo for however bad his hangover proved to be would have him back with Tonia right as rain! He hoped.

Whether _he_ would be in one piece after this remained to be seen.


End file.
